1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to information recording/reproducing devices, and, more particularly, relates to an information recording/reproducing device of the helical scanning type.
2. Description of the Related Art
In magnetic recording/reproducing devices of the helical scanning type (hereinafter called VTR devices), a flying erase head is conventionally used for avoiding the generation of rainbow noise during the rerecording of an information signal.
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a rotary drum D for explaining an arrangement of a flying-erase head F and magnetic heads A1 and A2. As shown in FIG. 1, the flying-erase head F is provided on the rotary drum D at a position such that the flying-erase head F contacts a magnetic tape prior to the magnetic heads A1 and A2. Here, the magnetic heads A1 and A2 are provided for recording an analog information signal on the magnetic tape. The flying-erase head F is used for erasing a prerecorded track before a new track is recorded.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative drawing showing erasing of prerecorded tracks and recording of a new track. As shown in FIG. 2, the flying-erase head F erases a prerecorded track or prerecorded tracks, and the magnetic head A1 records a new analog information signal to form a new track.
When a single rotary drum is used for recording different types of information signals such as an analog information signal and a digital information signal, separate magnetic heads should be provided on the rotary drum to record the different types of information signals. In such a case, providing the flying-erase head leads to lack of space on the rotary drum and to an undesirable increase in the number of transmission channels of a rotary transformer.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of the VTR devices for a VTR device which provides a mechanism for erasing a prerecorded track despite limitations of space on the rotary drum and the number of transmission channels of the rotary transformer.